Visit Mae Hong Son by Motorbike

Traveling to the area is best by air. There are several nonstop flights daily from Chiangmai to Mae Hong Son. The bird's eye view of Chiangmai and the rugged mountains to Mae Hong Son is worth the trip in itself. The good thing is you don't have to endure a hot 7 hour bus ride and the air fare is unbelievably low. For only 345 Baht you can be there in only 40 minutes or less.

The breathtaking beauty of Mae Hong Son inspired film director Roger Spottswoody to film the movie "Air America" in November of 1989 with Mel Gibson and Robert Downy Jr. One film sequence is where Downy is dangling by a rope from a helicopter and shows a beautiful view of this small town from the air. In the movie, the airport was buzzing with activity resembling an air base in Laos. As a matter of fact most of the scenes in the movie where filmed in the Mae Hong Son area. The airport and town are quiet now with only the daily Thai Airways flights from Bangkok and Chiangmai.

The most refreshing thing about Mae Hong Son is the lack of commercialism. Mae Hong Son is big enough to survive the Thai trade fluctuations and the high pressure tactics for the tourist Baht seem non existent. The locals even talk about how the tiny town of Pai receives many more foreign visitors than they do.

From November through March, make sure you book your flight to and from Mae Hong Son at least one day in advance. Getting a flight there is usually easy but a return flight can be difficult as tour groups arrive by tour bus or van from Chiangmai or direct flight from Bangkok. They tour the area for a few days and then fly on to Chiangmai.

Accommodations in Mae Hong Son vary widely from inexpensive guest houses located along the lake in the center of town to 4 star hotels and garden resorts located just out of town. Once you have checked in you can ask where to rent a motorbike or jeep. There are several places with good transportation and excellent maps of the area both north and south of town. Many interesting day trips are available from guest houses and hotels which include, elephant riding and rafting along the river with a visit to Long Neck Karen villages included.

You can head just a few Kilometers south of town to visit a Karen hilltribe village, ride an elephant and return in a few hours on your own if you wish. The place where you rented your vehicle will have the maps and answer your questions on how to get there. You should also go to the temple on top of the mountain overlooking Mae Hong Son around 5 pm and stay until sunset if you wish. Late afternoon is the best time for taking pictures of the valley below from this spectacular vista.

 Hong Son the next day.

Before you leave the city go by the temple on the south side of the lake in the center of town to the old Burmese style temple behind the market. Picture taking here is best in early morning.

The road to Pai is paved all the way but very winding with steep climbs. The views are fantastic. Your first stop should be a waterfall, Namtok Phasua. There is a big sign stating where to turn left. Follow this concrete road to the end where the Namtok Phasua Forest Park is located.

 down this delightful road.

The problem is you'll want to stay at the waterfall most of the day because of its impressive beauty and peacefulness. I have been there many times and have yet to see more